Matthew Brown, the Labour Party’s candidate for Louth and Horncastle, has branded the latest unemployment figures an ‘illusion’ and argues that people are worse off under the current government.

Mr Brown said: “This week’s fall in overall unemployment is welcome, but after five years of a Conservative-led Government working people have been left £1,600 a year worse off since they took power.

“These initial figures are just window dressing and these statistics are nothing more than Houdini economics.

“A desperate Conservative party is trying to create an illusion which disguises their failed economic plan, a plan which is putting the UK on the road to becoming a low wage economy where the rich get richer and the poorest are left to the food banks.

“Low pay has left millions of working families struggling to make ends meet and has led to billions more being spent on the housing benefit bill.

“Furthermore, the figures do not unpick the truth about what families face day to day; many underemployed, on zero hours contracts, or in the worst cases sanctioned by the job centre to meet cynical Conservative targets.”

Mr Brown added his concern about youth unemployment, and said that a Labour government would guarantee young jobseekers six-month paid starter jobs.